Tuesday, July 21, 2015

GAZA
CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli naval forces shot and injured a Palestinian
fisherman with live rounds off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday
morning, witnesses said.Witnesses said that the fisherman
in his 20s was hit with a live bullet in his back and several
rubber-coated steel bullets in his hand while fishing off the coast
northwest of Gaza City.The unidentified fisherman was taken to al-Shifa Hospital where his injury was reported as critical.An
Israeli army spokeswoman had information of an incident off the Gazan
coast, but said she was not aware of any injuries sustained by
Palestinians.She said that Israeli naval forces fired
warning shots "in the air and in the water" after a Palestinian fishing
vessel "deviated from the designated fishing zone."She said that the boat "ignored the warnings," at which point Israeli forces fired at the boat's engine.She said that the fishermen and boat were taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod for questioning, before they were released.It was not clear whether the incident was related to the injury reported in Gaza.Israeli
forces have repeatedly opened fire on Palestinian fisherman and farmers
since the ceasefire agreement signed Aug. 26, 2014 that ended a
devastating 50-day Israeli military offensive against the Gaza Strip.In
May alone, there were a total of 51 incidents of shootings, incursions
into the coastal enclave, and arrests, according to the Palestinian
Center for Human Rights.This included 41 shootings, which left nine injured, including one minor.The
attacks come despite Israeli promises at the end of the ceasefire to
ease restrictions on Palestinian access to both the sea and the border
region near the "security buffer zone."